Keyboard cleaner



July 5 1927.

v l. KIRSNER KEYBOARD CLEANER Filed Aug. 27, 192e Bam' R ATTORN EY Patented July 5, 1927.

ISAAC KIRSNER, or BRONX, NEW YoRK.

KEYBOARD CLEANER.

Application led Augustv27, '71926. Serial No. v`131,936.

rIhis invention relates to keyboardl cleaners for pianos and is an improvement over the type vof cleaner shown and described in my patent application.v Serial No. 82,590, 5 filed January 20th, 1926, allowed April 3rd, 1926. l Y y The primary object of this invention over that shown in the above alplication resides in the provision Vof a means for thoroughly l cleaning that portion of the white keys of a piano disposed beneath the fall-board and which camiot ordinarily be reached for cleaning with a dust cloth or the like.

Another object of the invention is to em,- body all the features of my former cleaner shown in my prior application in this improved cleaner with certain additional teatures which Ywill provide a saving` of time and material and will be more convenient for handling.

With these and other objects in View, the invention resides in certain novel construction Vand combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which arer r hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing., in which y Figure 1 isa perspective view of vmy improved keyboard cleaner.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the underside of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sec-- tional view, therethrough. v

Figure 4 isa vertical transverse sectional view showing the position oi' the device when cleaning piano.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the cleaner in position for cleaning the outer ends of tlel black keys and the tops of the white keys.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates my improved cleaning implement in its entirety and which is constructed of a rectangular 'body member 11 of any suitable hard or stiff material such as wood, metal, iiber and the like and which has its underside provided with spaced slotsor recesses 12 which open on to the longitudinal'edges of the body, while the opposite face of the member is perfectly flat as at 13. j Therecesses 12 are of such shape as to receive the black keys of a piano keyboard and are so spaced that one and one-third octaves may be beneath the tall-board of a Y cleaned a single operation; The front longitudinal edge oi the member is beveled 'at 14, therangle ofwhich is approximately the same as the angle A'oli the front end of the black keys, so that the device may be drawn longitndinallyl over the keyboard with the flat surfaces in contact with the forward ends of' the white keys so asto clean the samev and simultaneously clean the front inclined faces of the black keys. i

The end edges of the flat side-of the member are rounded as lat' 15 sothat the device will move smoothly `over the white keys without 'fear of striking the sides of the keys and damaging them. y

The iront longitudinal edge of `the member is provided with flanges 16 disposed intermediate the recesses and ends of the member, so as to provide portions which'might be insertedpbeneath thek 'tall-board A ot a pianoby slightly depressing the member so as to cause the depression of the` keys to permit of the insertion oi" the anges. The entire 'outer surface of the body member is covered with a soft polishing material 17, such as plush, wool, cotton, chamois or other absorbent or non-absorbent material having polishing qualities. Y

A handle member 18 is provided with an offset threaded stud 19 for threading cngagement with the walls of a rece-ss provided inthe rear longitudinal edge-ot. body member, so that the hand of an operator is disposed above the keys when moving the same transversely over the keys. l

In practice, the black keys of thepiano keyboard and that portion of the white keys lying within the range of the cleaner are cleaned first by applying thev device to the keyboard at one end thereoand which takes `in one and one-third octaves. The device is moved back and forth in a transverse direction with the v,black keys received in the respective recesses, and after those keys which come within the range oi the kdevice have been cleaned, the same is moved. to take in the neXt group of keys until all the keyboard has been cleaned. As previously mentioned, the keys are depressed in orderL to permit the flanges 16 to be inserted'beneath rthe tall board. At present it is very dithcultl to reach the. dust beneath the fall-board with an ordinary dust cloth, andy which dust is unsightly asthe same is clearly visible even when the keys are in their normal position. After cleaning the keys in this manner, the device is reversed so that the flat surface 13 lies over the outer end of the White keys. The device may now be freely drawn back and forth in a longitudinal direction over the White keys and the same thoroughly cleaned of any dust Which may not have been removed vduring the previous operations. Although I have mentioned that the devine shown has been designed to take in one and one-third octaves of a piano keyboard in one operation, it Will be appreciated that the device may be enlarged so as to take in a greater or lesser amount of keys to be cleaned in a single operation.

While I have described What I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of vthe details may be varied Without in any Way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the Whole `of my invention limited only by the appended claims.

Vilhat is claimed as new is 2- l. A keyboard elearner comprising an elongated member having` an exterior surface of polishing material, ont` side of said member having spaced transverse slots provided therein opening onto the side edges of said member, and lianges extending beyond one of the sides of said member intermediate said recesses adapted to pass under the fall board and a handle member extending from the opposite side edge of said member, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A keyboard cleaner Comprising an elongated baek member covered with a soft polishing material, one face of said member being provided with transverse recesses opening onto its longitudinal edges, the recesses being spacedv and of a shape to receive and clean the black keys of the keyboard of a musical instrument When the device is applied thereto and for cleaning that portion of the .White keys Within the range of the device upon transverse movement thereover, and anges extending from one longitudinal edge of said vmember intermediate said recesses for cleaning that portion of the White keys beneath the'fall-board of the musical instrument upon insertion of the flanges thereunder, the opposite face of said member being fiat with the end edges rounded for longitudinal movement` over the outer ends of the white keys, and a beveled surface on the front longitudinal edge of said member for wiping engagement with the .front ends of the black keys as the cleaner is Amoved longitudinally over the white keys, and a handle member extending from the rear longitudinal edge of said mein@ ber.

In testimony whereof IV have aiiXed my signature.

Isaac Kinsman. 

